In general, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag is a device making it possible to read the information of articles and products, using local RF wireless communication with an IC chip. The RFID tag can efficiently update the information stored in the tag in real time every time articles are moved, as compared with barcodes or smart cards.
Further, because the RFID tag uses local RF wireless communication in the bands of UHF and VHF, non-contact recognition is possible, so it is possible to obtain accurate information without an error and to read information by approaching a nonmetallic material, regardless of a complicated environment, a dirty environment, and the weather.
Recently, articles and products are stored and displayed, with RFID tags attached thereon, in display cases.
As described above, when an RFID tag is attached to articles and products, the tag information of the articles and the products can be read by a reader. Accordingly, it is possible to check the present state of storage and delivery of articles and products stored in a display case and to obtain detailed information such as the individual features, the date of manufacture, and the period of circulation.
In particular, when articles and products with RFID tag thereon are stored in a display case, it is required to install a reader and an antenna connected with the reader on the display case in order to efficiently and quickly read the tag information.
Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c, a display case 10 of the related art is provided with a plurality of layers of storage sections 11 for articles and products and at least two fixing-typed antennas 20 are fixed on the rear plate of each of the storage sections 11, toward the front of the storage sections 11.
The fixing-typed antennas 20 are connected with readers on the display case 10 by coaxial cables (not shown) through slide holes 13 in the storage sections 11. The bodies of the fixing-typed antennas 20 are fixed to the rear plates of the storage sections 11 by fastening members 21 such as bolts or adhesives.
A flexible bottom plate 14 made of a nonmetallic material is disposed in each of the storage sections 11 and a plurality of pattern-typed antennas 30 that can cover a bottom 15 is uniformly arranged under the bottom plate 14 in each of the storage sections 11. The pattern-typed antennas 30 are additionally provided to remove blind areas that the fixing-typed antennas 20 cannot scan.
However, in this related art, since the antennas are fixed to a display case, it is required to install a plurality of expensive antennas on the rear plates and the bottoms of the storage sections in a display case. Further, since it is required to install a reader connected with the antennas by coaxial cables in each of the storage sections, the material cost and the installation cost are necessarily increased.
Further, the scanning operation of the antennas on the layers of a display case is made in a switching type, so that the storage sections are not simultaneously scanned, but individually and sequentially scanned. Accordingly, for a display case with at least three or more layers of storage sections, the scanning time of an antenna is three or more minutes and it necessarily takes a long time to scan each of the racks.
Further, even if scanning is performed for a long time, since the antennas in the storage sections are fixed, such that there is a critical problem in that there are non-scanned blind areas or the scanning rate necessarily decreases, depending on the features of products (for example, a liquid material).
Further, when there is a need of remodeling a display case with a plurality of antennas fixed or changing the shape of a display case to fit to articles to store, it is required to individually separate the fixed antennas and then fix them again to fit to the remodeled or changed shape. Accordingly, this work acts as a main factor that increases the cost for remodeling or changing a display case.
Accordingly, it has been recently required to develop a scanning apparatus that makes it possible to reduce the cost for installing and operating antennas. Further, it has been required to develop a scanning device that makes it possible to reduce the cost for remodeling a display case or changing the shape of the display case. Further, it has been required to develop a scanning device that has an improved scanning rate for the RFID tag information of articles and products. Further, it has been required to develop a scanning device that can make sure of high-speed scanning within a short time with a high recognition rate.